Name(s): ____________________________________Date: ______________Period: ________

Topic: Modern Physics … The Photoelectric Effect … A Simulation

Download the program from URL: http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/photoelectric and

answer the questions below:

1. Move the intensity (brightness of light) slider to 50%. What do you observe?

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2. What is the function of the light source?

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3. The name of this phenomenon is Photoelectric Effect. Why is this a good name?

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4. Explain in your own words what is happening during the photoelectric effect.

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5. What kind of energy do the electrons have as they start to move across the open space
between the electrodes?

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6. Change the battery voltage from 0.0 volt to 8.0 volts, describe and explain what you observe.

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7. Decrease the battery voltage, notice that you can stop the electrons by reversing the battery
thus making the voltage negative and increasing the voltage. Why does this stop the
electrons?

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8. Set the battery voltage to 0.0 volt. Move the color slider until there is no current. Using a
sodium target, what is the longest wavelength (cutoff wavelength) that will still show a
current?

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9. Change the battery voltage to 2.0 volt. Move the color slider until there is no current. Using a
sodium target, what is the longest wavelength that will still show a current?

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10. What happens to the value of the longest wavelength (cutoff wavelength) that will allow
electrons to be emitted when you increase the battery voltage?

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11. Change the target metal to zinc and determine the longest wavelength (cutoff wavelength)
that will still show current using zinc.

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12. Explain why increasing the wavelength, as you have done, causes the change you observe.

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13. Explain why sodium’s cutoff wavelength is different than zinc’s.

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14. Return the target metal to sodium, move the color slider to a color that allows a current, and
increase the intensity of the light source. What is the effect of the increased intensity?

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15. Move the intensity slider back to 50%, move the color slider to a color that does not allow
current, and increase the intensity of the light source. What is the effect?

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16. What happens to the value of the longest wavelength (cutoff wavelength) that will allow
electrons to be emitted if you increase the intensity of the light?

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17. The proper name for the cut off wavelength is the Threshold Wavelength. The corresponding
frequency is called the Threshold Frequency. Using the speed of light (i.e., 3.0 X 108 m/s),
determine the Threshold Frequencies for sodium and zinc. Show your work and label which
is sodium and which is zinc. Remember to use units.

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18. What happens to the number of photons streaming from the source as you increase the
intensity of the light?

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19. For at least five different wavelengths, determine to two decimal places the exact voltage
needed to stop the electrons from reaching the right-hand plate. Calculate the frequency of
the wavelengths you used. Calculate the stopping voltage energy in electron volts (eV). 1
electron volt (1 eV = 1.602 × 10-19 J) is the amount of kinetic energy gained by an electron
when it accelerates through an electric potential difference of one volt. Record the data and
calculations in the table below. Show at least on sample calculation for each calculation
column.

Show Sample Calculations Below:

20. Graph the stopping energy (y-axis) versus frequency (x-axis) for sodium on the last page of
this lab report.

21. The energy axis shows the “stopping” energy needed to keep the electrons from getting to the
right-hand plate. What type of energy, possessed by the electron, needs to be taken away
from the electron to stop it from making it across to the right-hand plate?
____________________ Label the y-axis to show this.

22. There is a y-intercept value, measured in eV. It represents some negative energy “hole” that
the electron must climb out of in order to begin moving across the space from the left hand
plate towards the right-hand plate. It is called the work function. What does it represent?

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23. Move the work function energy to the left side of the algebraic equation. The left side would
now represent the total energy given to the electron. What is the source of this energy?

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24. Graph the stopping energy (y-axis) versus frequency (x-axis) for another metal: calcium.
Color code and label the line. Does it have the same y-intercept (work function)?
__________________ Does it have the same slope? ___________________

25. The slope of your line has units. What are they? _____________ Because Max Planck had
done research on the behavior of light and needed this particular number to explain light’s
behavior, the slope of your graph carries his name. What is your value of “Planck’s
Constant?” ______________

26. Now, find the value of the x-intercept. It is a frequency of light corresponding to a zero
voltage energy needed to stop the electron from moving. Compare this frequency to the
Threshold Frequency that you measured in #17, and explain why they compare as they do.

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27. Chose “Show photons” and “Show photon number instead of intensity” in the “Options”
menu. It was Einstein who explained the theory of photons of light interacting with electrons
to transfer energy on a one to one basis. He was the first to use the term “photon of light.”
One photon hits one electron and transfers its energy to the electron. Would the idea of
photons of light best describe the particle or wave nature of light? ____________________
Why do you think this?

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28. The energy of a photon can be calculated using: E = hf. Planck’s constant: h = 6.62 x 10-34
Joule Second. Determine the energy carried by a single photon of light with a wavelength of
6.0 x 10-7 m. Show your calculation.

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29. Determine and compare the energy carried by a single photon of light with a wavelength of
3.0 x 10 -7 m to the photon in that previous question. Show your calculation.

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30. What is the relationship between wavelength and photon energy?

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What is the relationship between frequency and photon energy?

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31. Using the relationships from the previous question, explain the effect of changing the light’s
intensity if the wavelength of the light is below the cutoff wavelength.

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32. Using the relationships and your answer about the number of photons streaming to the target
metal as the intensity of the light changes, explain the effect of changing the light’s intensity
if the wavelength of the light is above the cutoff wavelength.

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33. Explain the results of increasing the intensity of light upon the value of the longest
wavelength that will allow electrons to be emitted.

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34. Now try to generalize your ideas about the Photoelectric Effect using the table below.